Ball-bearing construction.



A. s. REED.

I BALL BEARING GONSTRUGTION. APPLIUATION FI-LED All, 1912.

1,080, 1 69. Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE. i Animar s. naar, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.4 i

sur-BEARING CONSTRUCTION.

specification of Letters raient. Application alga April a, 1912. serial No. 869,100.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

Ib all 'whom it may concern; Be it known that I, ALBERT zen .of the United States, residing'at Qlucago,fin the county'ofv Cook.. and State of 45 Iliinois, `have invented a cert-ain new and useful Improvement in'Ball-Bearing Construction, of which the following isa full,

clear, concise, and'exact description..

In ball-'bearing construction the inner and outer rings or Araces are provided with grooves and diierent methods have been employed for inserting the balls and preventing them from falling out. Itis desirable that thev ways should be practically filled so that there may be 'asmany bearing points as possible tosustain the load and endure `the wear. So far as I am aware s. construction, such as -I am about to describe whereby the ways are practically filled with the balls, and the balls permanently secured against fall-ing out, has not been heretofore devised.

The principal feature of my present invention consists in the method of compressing the outer race, cup or ring or expanding the inner ring so'thnt the bearing-balls, after .being placed in the race-way to practically fill the same, will be permanently prevented from falling out or becoming displaced.

My invention further consists in constructing the outer ring or race ofthe bear# ing V of` suiiicient size to permit the insertion of the balls between the Iouter and inner bearing rings in the race-ways and, after the balls have been inserted, compressing the 315 'outer ring or expanding the inner ring and thereby contracting the annular space to 'correspond with the diameter of the balls so that the balls, while practically filling the race-Way, will be held permanently from 40 displacement.

My invention further consists vin the com.

bination with the balls of the inner and outer races, each provided with a. groove,` and the balls practically filling the space as 46 will be described.

My invention will Vstood by reference drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view showing the balls 50 in place between the grooves which are prov'ided in the outer and inner rings or races; Fig. 2 is a view showing the bearing assembled and in position to be placed on a lunger just below a die through which the ear- 65 111g is forced to compress the outer ring to be more readily underto the accompanying s. new, au.`

bring the same to the position shown in Fig. l; Fig. 3 illustrates another form of bearing, the-outer race or ring being cup-shaped and the inner provided with a flange after the manner employed for vehicles; Fig. 4

shows the rim of the cup as indicated by dotted lines of suiiicient size to permit the full complement of balls to be inserted, the full lines showing' the cup as' it appears after being compressed; Fig. 5 illustrates my invention as applied to an end-thrust bearing; Fig. 6 is a. sectional view on line 6 6 of Fig. 7 illustrating a modification in which my invention is applied to a noiseless bearing; and Fig-. 7 Ais a view ofthe same taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Like parts are indicated by similar figures of lreference in the different views.

In Fig. 1 I have shown the outer ring or race l'provided with the inner groove 2. The corresponding inner ring 3 is provided with an outer groove 4. The bearing-balls 5 are placed as shown between these rings. They are fitted' to the grooves and practically fill the annular space.

The punch 6 shown in Fig. 2 is adapted to be forced upward to carry the bearing thrcughthe die and thereby compress the outer ring to bring the parts to the position shown in Fig. 1. It will be noted that in Fig. 2 the ring 1 is large enough to permit the insertion of a sufficient number of balls, to practically fill the space. After the plunger has forced the bearing through the die the outer'ring is contracted to the amount indicated by dotted lines 8 in Fig. 2 to cause the grooves 2 and 4 to conform to the balls. i

VIn Figs. 3 and 4 the inner bearing ring 9 isprovided with a groove 10 'andtheonter bearing ring or cup 11 is provided with a groove 12. It will be seen that in the sectional view Fig. 4 the dotted lines 13 indicate the size of the cup before being compressed. This compressible flange indicated at 13 is formed as shown in order that it may not be necessary in the process of compression to compress the inwardly extending flange 13a.

Figi 5 shows my invention applied as an end-t rust bearing. The outer-race 14 corresponds with the Outer-race 1 of Fig. 1 and this is shown as having been compressed. It. will be seen that the hardened washers 14a take the thrust.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown the annulus 15, which may be of fiber or any suitable material, interposed between the outer ring or race 16 and the inner ring or race 17. These rings '16 and 17 are provided as shown with grooves for the balls. .Tn this instance the annulus l is provided with six openings 18 in which are inserted the balls 19. The annulus with the balls thus placed in position is inserted between the rings 16 and 17, after which the outer ring is compressed by means of a punch and die or other suitable tool .to cause the balls to it, as shown, between the corresponding grooves while the annulus, with the balls thus in place, ills the space all as shown. Oil ducts 2O areA provided for the purpose of lubricating the y bearings.

I Gopies oi thisptnt may be obtained for I have found itpreferable to compress the outer ring rather than to expand the inner ring. My invention, however, broadly stated is not coniined to either method since theessential feature of the method consists in constructingthe rings or" such a dierence in size or diameter as to permit the insertion of enough balls t-o practically fill the circular space, and afterward to restrict the said space by giving the rings either one or the other or both a permanent set, that is a compression or expansion or both toward one another so that the balls will be held perma- Y.

nently in position between the grooves proi vided in the said bearing rings.

' I have thus shown my invent-ion applied t-o several forms of ball bearingl structures. There are other modifications which would readily suggest themselves to those skilled inI4 the art.

IJcla im`:- "17 method of assemblingball-bearings, which consists in constructing the outer race of enough greater diameter than the inner race to permit of practically iilling the race-way with 'bearing balls; placing the balls in the race-way Athus formed'and then subjecting the outer race to great pressure to permanently diminish the diameter there of to restrict the race-way to the size of the balls; whereby balls in suflicient number may be inserted to practically'ill the raceway and be permanently retained therein, ilstantially as and for the purpose speci- Q. The method of assembling ball-bearings, which consists in constructing the outer and inner races or rings with corresponding grooves to form between the said races aI race-way initially wide enough to permit they insertion of a sufficient number of balls to practically fill the said race-way throughout its circumference, and, after the balls are inserted, reducing by 'pressure the width of the race-way to cause the balls to fit between the grooves and to be held permanently from falling out or'displacement.

ln witness whereof, hereunto subscribe my name this 5th p -ALBERT S. REED.

Witnesses:

l ALFRED MOORE,

MCCLELLAND YoUNa five cents each, by adressing 'che Commissioner of atenta, Washington, D. C. i

day of April, A. DV.,"1912., i 

